Apricot thoughts

[magid]

Two years ago, my neighbor down the street was kind enough to share his apricot bounty when his tree started fruiting exuberantly. It was the first year it had done so since he planted it, and the thought was that it had matured enough to have a crop annually. Except that last year was a bust (not sure how much of that can be laid at the door of the Month o' Rain we had). But this year, it's come back full force, so I'm again with apricot options. Last time I made chutney, jam, and a couple of kinds of liqueurs. This time I started with liqueurs, a plain apricot batch, and another with three green jalapenos I picked on the porch. I'm considering another batch with Pretty in Purple peppers, some of which are still purple, and some of which have ripened to red. Or perhaps apricot-sage, or apricot-basil (other porch herb options include shiso, mint, oregano, thyme, and chives (also marigolds and nasturtiums). And I could use something other than vodka as the base (gin (which I'd have to acquire), or perhaps rum). Other, non-alcoholic possibilities: chutney (with or without cranberries), jam (ditto, or hot peppers for a bit more zing), pickled (with cinnamon in a sweet vinegar solution, a la peach pickles), halved and frozen for later. And of course eating out of hand, or in fresh dishes (such as sea perch stuffed with apricots and scallions, to choose a non-random example). Suggestions? Opinions on herb pairings?

Comments

[magid.livejournal.com]

Or maybe the tree just exhausted itself and needed a year off?

(There's a crabapple tree across the street; I'm considering asking if I can harvest the fruit when it ripens, though I've never used crabapples before.)